Automatic derailer.



0. s. HANCOCK & e. w. KELLER.

AUTOMATIC DERAILER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE?! 1916.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

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Witnesses Inventor,

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C. S. HANCOCK & G. W. KELLER.

AUTOMATIC DERAILER.

APPUCATlON.F||-ED DUNE 27 I916; 1,21 9,733. Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

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CLINTON S. HANCOCK AND GEORGE W. KELLER, OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO,

AUTOMATIC DERAILER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 20. 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CLINTON S. HAN- COCK and GEORGE W. KELLER, citizens of the United States, residin at Portsmouth, in the county of Scioto, State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful AlllJOlHzttlC Derailer, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains generally to train controlling apparatus, and is more especially related to railroad crossing apparatus.

It is the object of the invention to provide a novel and improved apparatus for preventing collisions at railroad crossings, and operable whereby when a train occupies or is traveling upon one track at the crossing, a train upon the other track will be prevented, by derailment, from reaching the first mentioned track.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the nature indicated which is operated electrically, with a minimum consumption of the electrical energy, all of the electrical circuits with the exception of the track circuit being open in either the operative or inoperative position of the derailer, the motor or actuating means only requiring the use of electrical energy to move the derailer to one position or the other.

It is also the object of the invention to provide an automatic derailing apparatus which is extremely simple and inexpensive in construction, which is feasible and practical, and which will perform its oflice in a reliable and satisfactory manner.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a diagrammatical view of the apparatus showing the same in normal position with the protected track unoccupied.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the protected track occupied and the respective circuits closed whereby the motor is in the act of moving the derailer to operative position.

Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the derailer and its connection with the motor, portions being broken away.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the protected track which intersects the other track 2, thereby providing the cross ing. The rails of the two tracks are insulated from one another, and a battery or other source of electrical energy 3 has its opposite poles connected to the rails of the track 1, and a relay magnet 4 has its opposite terminals connected to the rails of said track, whereby said magnet is normally in circuit with and energized by the battery 3 so that the electromagn'et 4: attracts its armature switch 5 and holds it against a contact 6. A contact 7 opposite the contact 6 is engaged by the armature switch 5 when it is released.

The derailer S is mounted in any suitable manner for cooperation with one rail of the track 9. for movement into and out of operative position, and a bar or other connection 9 connects the derailer 8 with a reversible electric motor 10, through a rack and pinion or other suitable connection. Instead of using an electrical motor 10, any other suitable electrically controlled actuating means can be used for operating the derailer, so long as the operating means is operable to move the derailer into and out of operative position when controlled electrically.

The motor 10 is controlled by two electrical circuits for operating it in opposite directions. One of these circuits is controlled by a relay magnet 11 having one terminal connected by a conductor 12 with the contact 7. An armature switch 13 coiiperates with theelectromagnet 11 to engage a contact 1 1 when said armature switch is attracted by the magnet. The other circuit of the pair 1s controlled by a relay magnet 15 having one terminal connected by a conductor 16 with the contact 6, and an armature switch 17 is cooperable with the electro-magnet 15 to en gage a contact 18 when said switch is attracted by the magnet 15.

A switch 19 is provided for breaking the circuits of the relay magnets 11 and 15 after the derailer is moved toone position or the other, whereby to avoid the wastage of our rent. This switch 19 is operated simultaneously with the derailer, such as by means of a rod 20 attached to the derailer bar 9 and Operating with said switch. The rod 20 is slidable through the switch 19 and has collars or other elements at opposite sides of the switch 19 to engage and move it. Contacts 20 and 21 are bridged by the switch 19 when said switch is moved by one collar 20 when the derailer is moved to inoperative position away from the respective rail, and the contact 20 is connected by a conductor 22 with the other terminal of the magnet 11, while the contact 21 is connected by a conductor 23 with one pole of a battery or other source of electrical energy 13. A second pair of contacts 24. and at the opposite side oi. the switch 19 are engaged by said switch when it is moved by the other collar 20 when the derailer is moved to op- (n'ative position. The contacu 24: is connected to the conductor 23, the same as the contact 21, and contact 25 connected by a conductor 26 with the other terminal of the magnet 15.

Contact 14 is connected with the conductor 23 by a conductor 27, armati'lre switch is connected to the opposite pole of battery B by a conductor 23, and the contact 18 connected with the last n'ientioned pole of battery B by a conductor 29 connecting the contact 18 and conductor 28. A conductor 30 connects the conductor 28 and a binding post 31 of motor 10, and the companion binding post 32 is connected by a conductor 33 with the armature switch 13. The motor 10 has a second pair of binding posts 34 and 35, the former of which is connected to the conductor 23, and the latter oi: which is connected by a conductor 36 with the armature switch 17. The two pairs of binding posts are so connected to the a rmature brushes or field coils, that when one circuit of the motor is closed, the armature will rotate in one direction and when the other circuit is closed, the armature. will be rotated in the reverse direction, in order that the derailer can be moved in one direction or the other by closing the proper circuit.

It is preferable to employ a visual or other suitable signal in connection with the derailer, such as an electric lamp 37 disposed along the track 2 at a suitable distance ahead of the derailer, and as a convenient means for energizing or lighting this lamp when the derailer is in operative position, one ter minal of the lamp 3'? is connected by a conductor 38 with the feed conductor 23, and the other terminal of said lamp is connected by a conductor 39 with a contact 4 whose companion contact l1 is connected to the feed conductor 30. The contacts 40-l1 are associated with the rod or stem 20 which carries a second switch 42 to bridge the contacts l0 1:1 for closing the lamp or signal circuit.

Normally when the track 1 is unoccupied, magnet 4 will be energized by current from battery 3, thus holding the armature switch 5 in engagement with the contact 6, and the switch 19 will be in engagement with the contacts 2021, while the switch 42 is removed from the contacts MF-il. The de railer S is normally in retracted position. The lamp 37 is therefore extinguished, and the circuit of magnet 11 is broken between the switch 5 and contact 7, while the circuit of magnet 15 is broken between the contacts 24k and 25. Thus, all of the circuits with the exception of the track circuit including the battery 3 and magnet i are opened, so that no current from battery B is used during normal conditions. When a train T occupies the track 1 adjacent the crossing, it will short circuit. the relay magnet 4-, which will at once be deenergized, so as to release the armature switch 5, and the latter will. drop into engagement with the contact 7 and away from the contact 6. Magnet 11 will therefore be energized, being disposed in the circuit including the battery B, conductor 23, contact 21, switch 19, contact 20, conductor 22, magnet 11, conductor 12, switch 5, and conductor 28. Magnet 11 will therefore attract the armature switch t, close the respective motor circuit including the battery 13, conductor 23, conductor 27, contact 1%, switch 13, conductor 33, motor 10, conductor 3. and conductor 28. Conse quently, the motor will be operated to more the dcrailer 8 to operative position, the switch 19 remaining in engagement with the contacts 20-21 a suflicient length of time to permit the motor to move the derailer into place before the switch 19 is moved away from the contacts 2021 into engagement with the contacts 2l25. When the switch 19 is so moved, the circuit of magnet 11 will be broken, so that it will be deenergized, and the switch 13 will therefore he released, breaking the motor circuit, so that the motor will stop. lVhen the derailer is moved to operative position, the switch 42 in bridging the contacts 410-41 willclose the lamp or signal. circuit including the battery B, conductor 23, conductor 38, lamp 37, conductor 39, switch 4L2, conductor 30 and con ductor 28. The lamp 37 will therefore be lighted to provide a danger signal, thereby warning the engineer of a train traveling upon track 2 toward the track 1 that a train is occupying the last mentioned track. If the engineer fails to stop the train, it will be derailed by the derailer 8 to avoid a collision. Instead of using the derailer 8, a switch can be used to deflect the train to one side without derailing it. When the train T has moved suiiiciently past the crossing, so that it no longer short circuits the battery 3, the magnet 1 is again energized so as to attract the armature switch 5 away from the contact 7 and into engagement with the con tact 6. Magnet 15 is now energized, being disposed in the circuit including the battery B, conductor 23, contact 24, switch 19, contact 25, conductor 26, magnet 15, conductor 16, switch 5 and conductor 28. Switch 17 is therefore attracted to close the other motor circuit including the battery B, conductor 23, binding post 34, motor 10, binding post 35, conductor 36, armature switch 17 conductor 29 and conductor 28. The motor is therefore operated to move the derailer to retracted position, and after the derailer has been moved to such position, the switch 19 is moved away from the contacts 2t-25, back into engagement with the contacts 2021, therefore breaking the circuit of magnet 15 which will at once he deenergized. The switch 17 being released will open the motor circuit, so that the motor is stopped and normal conditions again resumed. Switch 4-2 is also moved to open position when the derailer is retracted, thus extinguishing the lamp 37.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with intersecting 'ailroad tracks, of a derailer for one track, a reversible actuating means for said derailer, a pair of electrical circuits including the actuating means, a pair of electrically operated means controlling said circuits, a second pair of circuits including said electrically operated means, means operated with the derailer for alternately opening and closing the second mentioned circuits, and means controlled by the occupancy of-the other track for alternately opening and closing the second mentioned circuits.

2. The combination of a pair of inter-- secting railroad tracks, of a source of electrical energy connected to the rails of one track, a relay including an armature switch and magnet, said magnet being connected to said rails, a derailer cooperable with the other track, a reversible motor for operating said derailer, a pair of electrical circuits ineluding said motor, a pair of relays including armature switches controlling said circuits and magnets, a second pair of circuits including the second mentioned magnets, the first mentioned switch alternately opening and closing the second mentioned circuits, and a switch operated with the derailer for alternately opening and closing the second mentioned. circuits.

8. The combination with intersecting railroad tracks, of a derailer cooperable with one track, actuating means for said derailer, electrical means controlling the operation of the actuating means in opposite directions, electrical means controlling the aforesaid electrical means, means operable with the derailer for bringing the first mentioned electrical means out of operation when the derailer is moved to either position, and means controlled by the occupancy of the other track for bringing the second mentioned electrical means into and out of operation.

In te imony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

CLINTON S. HANCOCK. GEORGE W. KELLER. Witnesses EDWARD E. PETEY, ORY CORIELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

